Quaxo's Secret
by Silver Mayflower
Summary: Everyone knows that Quaxo is the brother of Mistoffelees. So why does Mistoffelees act as if his brother doesn't exist? Electra, Etcetera, Jemima and Victoria plan to find out...
1. Etcetera

**A/N: I've seen the Dutch Cats musical three weeks ago, and I've already ordered tickets for the Polish version which I'll see in October. Yeah, I'm definitely hooked on Cats.**

**Disclaimer: I'm a female, not a male, so how can I be either Andrew Lloyd Webber or Thomas Stearns Eliot? As for the Really Useful Group, don't even get me started on the impossibility of being multiple people in one.**

**Word count: 470 words**

It was quiet. Silence reigned at this time of the day, when it was too hot to move even the tiniest muscle, when it was too hot to do anything but laze around under the summer sun. None of the cats were willing to more in this stifling heat.

None?

Oh, there was in fact one cat still moving around; not a cat, more of a kitten actually. A young female kitten, creamy white with light grey and tan stripes.

The kitten silently moved through the shadows as if she were a ghost. She took no heed of the other cats; they were not her intended target. Instead, she made her way around the junkyard to the wall at the far east side. Yes, there was her target; she could see him clearly now. Her lithe body shifted into a crouch, and she took a great leap…

"ETCETERAAAAA!!!"

Oops.

Looks like her target wasn't too happy with being disturbed.

"Heheh…" Etcetera giggled a bit. Pouncing on Quaxo's tail was so much fun. For her anyway; she could practically see the imaginary thunderclouds gathering around the small tux' head. Etcetera had always been quite curious about the young tom; he had simply shown up one day at the junkyard.

It wasn't that he was a stranger; everyone knew that Quaxo was Mistoffelees' brother. Not only had Misto said so himself, but Bustopher Jones, their uncle, had confirmed it. Of course, anyone who was a relative of one of the Jellicles was more than welcome to join as well; Quaxo had been accepted by the tribe as easily as Etcetera herself had been; and Etcetera was quite the troublemaker.

But still… before Quaxo had shown up, he'd never been mentioned at all by either Bustopher Jones or Mistoffelees. Even nowadays, they barely acknowledged his existence; only when someone asked a direct question concerning Quaxo, would one of the other two tux cats mention him. Etcetera might have been a hyper, squealing kitten, but she wasn't stupid by any means.

She had a very distinct feeling Quaxo was not accepted among his family. It was terrible, knowing that someone who was such a nice cat was treated by his family in such a way. Oh, Bustopher and Misto were pleasant cats to be around, not horrible or mean at all; but why did they act as if Quaxo didn't even exist half of the time?

Why did they shun him so?

Etcetera was determined to find out; she had talked about it with her friends, Jemima, Victoria and Electra. All four female kittens had agreed to investigate. But, first things first; Etcetera and her friends were going to show Quaxo that they accepted him for who he was. And in Etcetera's mind, this meant playing!

Too bad Quaxo had no sense of humor.

**Posted: July 04, 2007**

**Next chapter: Mistoffelees**

**Just a short prologue to get things started. More will be explained in the next chapter. I will most certainly update faster if I get lots of reviews. So, are you feeling up to the (gasp) treacherous and difficult task of pushing the little blue review button?**


	2. Mistoffelees

**A/N: Let's see how things are with our favorite Conjuring Cat, huh?**

**Disclaimer: I'm a female, not a male, so how can I be either Andrew Lloyd Webber or Thomas Stearns Eliot? As for the Really Useful Group, don't even get me started on the impossibility of being multiple people in one.**

**Word count: 680 words**

"Mistoffelees, there you are! I was wondering if you could help out-"

"Say Misto, I've lost my ball, can you-"

"Hey Mistoffelees, could you-"

Magical Mr. Mistoffelees, the Original Conjuring Cat, was currently developing a headache of considerable proportions. Since he had entered the junkyard this morning, he had been bombarded with questions from other Jellicles who wanted his help for something or other; usually, it involved him using magic. He wouldn't even have bothered to come here if Jennyanydots hadn't requested his help… Mistoffelees suppressed the urge to hiss at the irritating but generally well-meaning group of Jellicles currently following him around.

It hadn't even started this morning, really. This behavior could be traced back right up to the moment when he had first shown his magic tricks to the cats at the junkyard. It had been so nice at first; he had enjoyed performing tricks for the other, slightly younger kittens. He'd been happy with helping the older toms and queens to find things that had been lost, or help some of them with various uncomfortable pains and ailments which even Jennyanydots could not cure. However, after a few weeks the situation had escalated. Nowadays, whenever he entered the Jellicle junkyard, he was instantly approached from all sides to aid even in the most trivial of matters.

"Now I truly understand why Cori and Tanto do their best to creep out everyone all the time" Mistoffelees mumbled for the third time that day. The Dark Twins, as they were commonly known, did their very best to creep out every living being that ever approached them. Oh, they didn't act any different from when they were on their own; they just manipulated their aura to give off a slightly menacing feeling. Everyone who approached the duo was instantly freaked out (except for Mistoffelees who simply used his own powers to block it, and Old Deuteronomy who apparently was immune to the whole thing). Of course, they always toned it down during the Jellicle Ball.

"Hey Misto, have you s-"

"What is it NOW?" Mistoffelees bit out harshly. He instantly regretted his tone when Jemima's ears dropped flat to the side. "I just… w-well… I wanted to k-know if you've seen… d-do you know w-where Quaxo is?" Jemima asked, her quivering voice betraying how she felt after being yelled at.

Mistoffelees silently berated himself for loosing his temper – and in front of Jemima, no less! "I apologize for being so rude. I don't really feel all that great today, you know... to answer your question… hmm, Quaxo is home right now, but it's better if you don't disturb him. He'll come around in half an hour anyway, so you can wait for him." Jemima's mood cleared when she got her answer. "Okay, I'll wait for him then. Thanks for your help!" The kitten walked away, leaving Mistoffelees to himself again. Mistoffelees allowed a small smile to appear. Jemima was one of the precious few who didn't specifically ask him to do magic. The female kittens liked having Quaxo as a friend; the only thing they ever asked of Mistoffelees was to search out his brother for them.

Everyone in the junkyard knew that Mistoffelees and Quaxo were brothers, and everyone knew Mistoffelees held great magical powers. Another commonly known fact was that Quaxo held a tiny bit of power as well (nowhere near as much as Misto had, though).

And finally, everyone knew that the two brothers were connected through their magic in the same way Coricopat and Tantomile were; a telepathic link caused the two to be able to communicate silently over great distances. It was that link which allowed Mistoffelees to tell Jemima (or whichever female kitten asked) where Quaxo was and when he could be expected to show up on the junkyard.

'I wonder…' Mistoffelees thought, while smiling to himself; 'How would they react if they found out the truth about Quaxo?'

With this highly amusing thought in his mind, he teleported home, away from the other cats who wanted to ask him a favor or two.

**Posted: July 12, 2007**

**Next chapter: Jemima**

**Poor, poor Misto! Having to deal with so many requests… (snicker) heh, aren't you people wondering about Quaxo's secret now? I know I would…**


	3. Jemima

**A/N: And now, it's Jemima's turn to stand in the moonlight- err, spotlight.**

**Disclaimer: I'm a female, not a male, so how can I be either Andrew Lloyd Webber or Thomas Stearns Eliot? As for the Really Useful Group, don't even get me started on the impossibility of being multiple people in one.**

**Word count: 654 words**

Three female kittens were standing at the junkyard's entrance: a white kitten (though she was pretty much an adult by now) **(1) **, a creamy tan kitten and a brown kitten. **(2) **They were waiting for the fourth member of their group, a mostly dark grey kitten; whom they could see was currently running towards them.

Jemima was greeted with a general chorus of hello's, and the four sat down together. "Misto says that Quaxo should be here in about half an hour" Jemima said. Three kittens looked expectantly at Electra; she was the only one of the four who could properly figure out the time by listening to the sound of the church bells ringing.

"The bells did ring only a moment ago. Ten times. When they ring again, we'll know half an hour has passed", the brown striped kitten said. The four made themselves comfortable and started to wait.

In fact, they had only waited for twenty minutes when Quaxo walked in to the junkyard. The four kittens greeted him all in their own way, ranging from a simple "Hi" (Electra) to a joyous "You're here, great! Wanna come and play with us?" (Etcetera).

Jemima smiled warmly at the young tom, and immediately shook her head, chiding herself mentally. What was she doing? She was too young to be falling in love, right? Besides, Quaxo was just a good friend. _'Friends are best to fall in love with…'_ Jemima grimaced. Lovely time for her mother's good advice to speak up!

'_Still, it's no good dwelling on things like that. I'll just ask mom when I see her' _Jemima thought. She put her personal problems to the side just in time to hear Electra say why they shouldn't play hide and seek ("Quaxo would be able to sense us, and Etcetera would fall asleep out of pure boredom…"). "Well, we could play I Spy" Victoria suggested. This idea was quickly met with approval, and soon they started the game (I spy with my little eye, something with the color green!) playing for a long time afterwards.

It was about four in the afternoon when the group split. Quaxo was the first to go ("My humans will start wondering where I disappeared, I'd better go and reassure them") with Victoria going immediately after him ("Oh, my humans will be frantic! I completely forgot, but I'm supposed to be home for a long time now…") Electra, Etcetera and Jemima didn't feel like playing without the others present, so they decided to retire as well; Jemima went on her way to her humans' house, waving at Electra and Etcetera, who lived on the junkyard.

Jemima lived in a typical suburban house, with typical suburban humans. Her mother, Demeter, had refused to give her up to the humans after giving birth (she kept scratching and hissing at anyone who came close) and the humans had eventually given up, letting Jemima live with them. Demeter was quite happy with this arrangement, as she could keep her daughter close this way. The only thing Jemima was not too happy about was that she didn't have any brothers or sisters; her only littermate had been stillborn, and to prevent any future pregnancies, the humans had taken Demeter to a vet to have her spayed.

Jemima remembered what her mother had told her about her humans; apparently they had been absolutely furious that their precious darling cat had had contact with some 'dirty, lowlife street cat'. Pffft, as if her father was a street cat! Not only did Munkustrap live with humans, he was also the great and wonderful protector of the Jellicle Tribe. What did the humans manage to accomplish, anyways? The man was always talking about how boring his work was, too.

'_Ah well. Humans are just weird like that, I suppose'_ Jemima thought when she hopped through the cat flap, her next thought being _'Yummy, I smell chicken!'_

**Posted: July 22, 2007 **

**Next chapter: Demeter**

**(1) – Victoria did the Mating Dance with Plato at the Jellicle Ball, so she is technically an adult now. However, she is still almost the same age as Jemima, Etcetera and Electra, so all of the cats (and me) keep referring to her as a kitten.**

**(2) – (A part of) the first line of this chapter contains an extremely obscure reference to a lovely book I often read as a child. It was originally printed in Russia (I own a copy in Polish) and it has been out of print for a very long time now, in either country. However, I'm planning to translate it in English (and perhaps Dutch as well) and have it published!**


	4. Demeter

**A/N: Jemima's mother gets some screen time, too. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, especially Pseudo23 (you gave me some nice ideas for the story, and without you I wouldn't have known how to write chapter 6).**

**Disclaimer: I'm a female, not a male, so how can I be either Andrew Lloyd Webber or Thomas Stearns Eliot? As for the Really Useful Group, don't even get me started on the impossibility of being multiple people in one.**

**Word count: 510 words**

One pair of brown eyes looked with concern in another pair of brown eyes. "Is something wrong? You've been acting a bit strange lately. Not paying attention as much…" Jemima waved her mother's concern away. "I'm fine, mom. Just thinking about stuff." Demeter still wasn't convinced (she knew for certain that her daughter was lying) but decided to let the matter rest. For now. She would still need to talk to Munkustrap, though.

Their daughter had always been rather calm for a kitten (though easily distracted whenever chicken entered the equation) but lately she had been unusually quiet. Demeter hadn't been able to get anything out of Jemima herself, but if she would hazard a guess, her daughter might have developed a crush. Not on the Rum Tum Tugger (no one took those kitten crushes serious, not even the kittens themselves, perhaps with the exception of Etcetera) but another tom had apparently drawn Jemima's attention. Demeter was pretty sure that must have been the reason for her behavior; after all, she herself had acted much in the same way when Munkustrap had caught her eye. As Bombalurina had once said: "You would utter no more than three words during an entire week, and it drove me crazy not knowing what was going on in the mind of my little sister".

'_I know Jemima has enough common sense to pick out a nice tom… still, I hope that she'll tell me who she has an eye on soon. She can't avoid the subject forever.'_ Demeter thought. _'I just hope Bombalurina doesn't find out too soon about his. She'd probably try to give Jemima advice on how to seduce him… I hate to think what would happen then.'_ Demeter grimaced at the thought of her older sister educating Jemima in the art of seduction, and prayed it would never happen.

There was one thing that had to be figured out, though… was Jemima's crush just that – a crush – or was she really in love? If it was the former, it would probably disappear in time; but if it was the latter, more questions would have to be answered.

Would Jemima's love be answered? A broken heart was quite a burden to carry, especially if it was your first love ever who rejected you…

But if the tom was in love with Jemima as well, there was the question whether they would do the Mating Dance at the next Jellicle Ball. A Mating Dance was not necessary to become mates; Demeter and Munkustrap hadn't danced one together, but no one could deny they belonged to each other. Still, most Jellicles preferred to promise themselves to each other in a formal ceremony. Jemima herself had said a few weeks ago that she found the Mating Dance very romantic.

'_First of all, I need to find out who Jemima's set her sights on, then whether it is real love or just a crush, and lastly if he loves her back…'_ Demeter sighed. _'I pray to the Everlasting Cat that Bombalurina doesn't find out about anything.'_

**Posted: August 18, 2007**

**Next chapter: Rum Tum Tugger**


	5. Rum Tum Tugger

**A/N: Another problem for Misto… because it's fun to torture him like that. To those of you who want to see Jemima being horribly embarrassed by Bombalurina's flirting tips, don't worry. Bombalurina will get her own chapter as well, though you'll have to be patient for a while…**

**As for the review left by cat (anonymous), I have no intention of disappearing. It's just that I don't have all the time in the world to write, because I also have to spend time on homework, my end-of-high-school project, driving lessons, helping my dad with refurbishing my brother's room, and that's not even counting personal hobbies (who take up quite some time as well). All in all, my personal life is in fact NOT non-existent, and my updating schedule reflects this. Still, I always do my best to update at least once every four weeks for both of my stories. I plan on finishing those fics even if it kills me!**

**That said, I hope all of my faithful readers will enjoy this chapter. I hope I can get some inspiration soon… the next chapter isn't completely finished yet, and I'm kinda stuck. If anyone has any ideas, feel free to share them.**

**Disclaimer: I'm a female, not a male, so how can I be either Andrew Lloyd Webber or Thomas Stearns Eliot? As for the Really Useful Group, don't even get me started on the impossibility of being multiple people in one.**

**Word count: 799 words**

The next morning, Electra and Etcetera stood by the junkyard gates as early as they could. Jemima and Victoria were supposed to come today, so that the four could discuss their plans concerning Mistoffelees and Quaxo. When the group had finally gathered, they retreated to a small hiding place right behind the large oven, where no one would be able to see them.

It was quite unlucky that they hadn't counted on being _**heard**_ as well.

The Rum Tum Tugger was sauntering around on the junkyard. He had decided to grace the other cats with his presence today… as always, quite a lot of the queens were fawning over him, such as Bombalurina, Cassandra and of course Etcetera…

Wait a minute.

Where was Etcetera?

This was definitely something that warranted a throughout investigation. Etcetera was Tugger's biggest fan, and for her not to start squealing at him the moment he stepped through the gates was inconceivable. Why, it was simply impossible! What on earth could possibly withhold Etcetera from drooling over him? Oh, the break was quite welcome; no matter how much he liked to be admired, prolonged exposure to Etcetera's squealing could really damage one's ears.

Still, the fact that Etcetera was nowhere to be seen was not very reassuring. Tugger silently debated whether to ask any of the older queens if they had seen her (nah, they'd rip him to shreds for that), or to revel in the fact that he wouldn't be turning deaf today (very attractive prospect), when he heard snippets of a conversation going on in… the oven?

No, that wasn't right… the sounds came from _**behind**_ the oven. Funny, he'd never realized there was any place there… what was interesting, was that one of the voices seemed to belong to his missing number one fan. Tugger sauntered over to the oven and lied down, pretending to doze away. The older queens usually left him moderately alone when he slept, giving him the perfect opportunity to listen to the conversation. After all, Etcetera might have been pretty annoying, but anything that effectively kept her away from him, he just had to know about. And so he listened…

"…Okay, recap. Mistoffelees and Quaxo are brothers. Bustopher Jones is their uncle. Both Bustopher and Misto pretend Quaxo doesn't exist, which is awfully mean of them. We are doing a good job of keeping Quaxo happy, but we still don't have the faintest idea why Bustopher and Misto act like that. Anything else to add?" asked Electra, now sounding more serious than ever. Tugger found himself listening with rapt attention – he'd never realized it before, but now that he thought about it… Quaxo did seem to be practically nonexistent in Mistoffelees' mind. The magical cat never talked about his not-quite-as-magical brother at all.

Victoria spoke up next, and Tugger pricked up his ears to hear what she had to say. "It's obvious that we can't ask Quaxo, he might be reminded of it and turn depressed. We'll have to devise some plan to get Bustopher or Misto to tell us." This idea was met with general agreement by the others.

"But how we can get them to tell anything, without asking for it outright?" Ah, that was Etcetera speaking – now he knew why she hadn't pounced on him the moment he stepped through the gates. She had asked a good question, though… the other kittens didn't know what to do about it either.

It was Jemima who spoke up next, hesitantly: "If we can't find out soon… we'll have to consider actually asking them why they avoid Quaxo. We can't just let it go on like that…" Tugger almost nodded at her suggestion, but remembered in time that he was supposed to be dozing, and she wouldn't see him anyway. Electra, Etcetera and Victoria simultaneously sighed. Jemima was right, of course; if Bustopher and Mistoffelees kept making Quaxo's life miserable for a longer time, who knew what would happen?

A long time after the kittens' meeting, Tugger still hadn't moved from his spot. He'd been friends with both magical cats since the moment he met them. He'd known Mistoffelees for six months now, and Quaxo for two months…

Now that he thought about it, in the first four months he'd known the Conjuring Cat, Quaxo had never been mentioned. Mistoffelees had frequently talked about his uncle, but his brother's existence hadn't been revealed until Quaxo had literally stood in the middle of the junkyard, being introduced to the other cats by Bustopher Jones. Actually, Misto hadn't even been there at the time… it was almost like he hated his brother – but why would he?

The Rum Tum Tugger felt he ought to have a talk with Mistoffelees sometime in the near future, concerning loyalty to one's family…

**Posted: August 31, 2007**

**Next chapter: Munkustrap**


	6. Munkustrap

**A/N: More psychological warfare… this time, Quaxo is the victim. Bit of a short chapter (and I don't really like the ending), but a small case of Writer's Block – and a hefty dose of illness – made writing this a somewhat difficult task. The Writer's Block seems to be gone by now, though.**

**Disclaimer: I'm a female, not a male, so how can I be either Andrew Lloyd Webber or Thomas Stearns Eliot? As for the Really Useful Group, don't even get me started on the impossibility of being multiple people in one.**

**Word count: 616 words**

Night came. A blanket of darkness covered in glimmering stars spread over the junkyard, muffling the sounds that were normally heard by day. The Jellicles had retreated to their resting places; some went to the house their humans lived, some curled up in their own little corner which they had claimed at the junkyard. Demeter hadn't wanted to return to her humans' home tonight, having made a place for herself in the remains of what once used to be a Victorian-style bed.

Through the shadows, something moved towards the queen. Demeter looked up and softly greeted her mate. Munkustrap had been told earlier during the day that Demeter wanted to discuss something important with him; understanding that it was important, he too had opted to stay for the night. Laying down beside her, he waited for Demeter to speak what was on her mind. It took her a few minutes to find words, although it was not what she'd originally wanted to say. Not to say it wasn't important, though.

"…I believe that my humans have finally decided to keep Jemima permanently. They won't try to give her away anymore." Demeter eventually said. "I'm really glad for that. I'm sure they'll take care of her just as well as they took care of me." Munkustrap obviously disagreed.

"Just like they had you spayed, I suppose?" He asked with distaste clearly written across his face. Demeter rolled her eyes. "That not what I was talking about. And let it rest already, what's done is done. At least we have a kitten of our own now; surely you wouldn't want to give up Jemima?" Munkustrap frowned. "That doesn't mean I have to like what they did to you" he mumbled. He started to say something, but realized he'd never win a discussion with his mate and quickly gave up.

After several minutes of silence, Demeter turned to him again. "Of course, our situation at home is not what I really wanted to discuss with you. It's actually… well… I think Jemima has a crush on one of the toms." Whatever Munkustrap had been expecting, that was not it. "Who, then?" He asked. "Certainly can't be Tugger, she's far too sensible to see him as anything else than a friend. Plato is already with Victoria…" His musings were cut short by Demeter. "No, no. I'm pretty sure it is Quaxo."

Silence.

Munkustrap stared at his mate with something akin to pure horror written all over his face. He shrugged it off just as quickly as it had come, though, and Demeter wondered if she hadn't imagined it. But what Munkustrap said next, assured her that it had been very real.

"…You know, it's rather unusual for me, what with me being the Jellicles' protector…" He spoke with hesitation "…I have to take care of all the Jellicles without exceptions, of course – but… there's just something off with Quaxo. I don't really trust him." Demeter blinked at the revelation. "That is… just silly. Why on earth do you think Quaxo isn't trustworthy?" she asked curiously.

Munkustrap grimaced. "That's the whole point. I don't have a reason – not a valid one, anyway. All I know is that Bustopher and Mistoffelees don't talk about Quaxo much; and when they do, they… act a bit strange. They don't talk about Quaxo as you would talk about a relative… and whenever I see Quaxo at the junkyard, I just get this weird feeling, like something is off." Munkustrap looked in Demeter's eyes. "I don't trust Quaxo. I just don't. and if he tries anything with Jemima…" The angry look on his face was proof enough for Demeter that Quaxo wouldn't survive such an encounter.

**Posted: September 28, 2007**

**Next chapter: Jemima, part 2**


	7. Jemima 2

**A/N: (snicker) poor Jemima… this is really going to mess with her head. I know the chapter is awfully short, but I just couldn't come up with anything more. I'll update when I'm back from vacation, around the 28th or so.**

**Disclaimer: I'm a female, not a male, so how can I be either Andrew Lloyd Webber or Thomas Stearns Eliot? As for the Really Useful Group, don't even get me started on the impossibility of being multiple people in one.**

**Word count: 316 words**

The next day, the Jellicles in the junkyard had a somewhat surprising guest: Mistoffelees. His visit was surprising because all of the cats knew he never showed up more often than once a month… apparently, he had decided to change this, because here he was – a mere two days after his last visit.

Of course, it wasn't as surprising to them anymore when they found out Munkustrap had called for him. Munkustrap was a respected leader, and if he summoned Mistoffelees it must have been important.

Jemima was lounging around the old car when Mistoffelees passed her on his way back. "Hello, Jemima. It's a nice day today – would you like to walk around a bit with me?" asked the magical cat. Jemima readily agreed – Etcetera was busy stalking Tugger, Victoria had a date with Plato, and Electra had disappeared altogether. Jemima had been getting quite bored without them to play around with.

The two cats shared a conversation about nothing in particular; Jemima told Mistoffelees about the new pet one of her humans had brought home (a goldfish), Mistoffelees in turn told her about some magical mishaps he had when he'd been very young and still inexperienced with magic (he had managed to end up all the way on the roof with no idea how to get down again).

"Well, Jemima," said Mistoffelees when they walked by the junkyard entrance "it is getting quite late. I should be heading home now – take care of yourself!" And, quite unexpectedly, he placed a kiss on Jemima muzzle. He blinked, blushed a bit… and left in the blink of an eye.

Jemima wasn't aware of how long she stood by the entrance, but she realized one thing quite clearly; and she was painfully aware of what it meant. _'Oh everlasting cat… now I like TWO toms at the same time! What am I going to do about it?'_

**Posted: October 18, 2007  
Next chapter: Victoria**


	8. Victoria

**A/N: I had been planning to post this chapter right after the holidays… but I swear I have a good reason for not updating when promised! (Exams do count as a good reason, right?) Anyway, now it's Victoria's turn. Yes, it's another extremely short mini-chapter. Bite me.**

**Disclaimer: I'm a female, not a male, so how can I be either Andrew Lloyd Webber or Thomas Stearns Eliot? As for the Really Useful Group, don't even get me started on the impossibility of being multiple people in one.**

**Word count: 532 words**

Jemima was the first cat Victoria saw when she entered the junkyard. It was quite hard not to see her; her friend was pacing around with an expression that was so worried, that it instantly made Victoria feel queasy… but if something bad had happened, surely the other cats would be acting worried too? However, all of the others were walking around as if it was a day like any other (not counting a worried glance here and there, directed at the aforementioned friend). Which meant that whatever made Jemima feel bad, it was something personal. Since Jemima was one of her best friends, Victoria decided to talk to her. Maybe she would be able to help her out? At that moment, Jemima noticed her white friend and sped towards her.

"Victoria! Oh, thank goodness you're here! I really need your help!" Before Victoria could fully realize what was happening, Jemima had started to drag her towards the hiding place behind the oven, not even giving her any chance to walk there herself; her snowy coat was going to end up quite dirty like this. Once they were properly hidden from view, Jemima burst into tears, explaining through her sobs what the problem was…

Between a lot of sobbing, cries of 'I really don't know what to do' and some pleading not to tell any of the adults, Victoria managed to find out that Jemima – sweet, innocent Jemima, who had never even displayed any real romantic interest as far as anyone knew – was in love. With two different toms. And because of this dilemma, Jemima had come to her for help – asking an older adult was simply out of the question (for one, it was way too embarrassing), and from all of the younger females, Victoria was the only one who had any experience with romance (hanging around with the Rum Tum Tugger and drooling all over him didn't count).

'_This is certainly very complicated' _Victoria thought. _'Jemima is unable to choose one above the other, and although taking more than one mate is not a real problem, Jemima is to much of a romantic to give up on her dream of 'her one and only'… she will certainly refuse to take more than one mate'._ As far as Victoria could see, the situation was beyond hopeless.

Despite not knowing what to do about it, she nevertheless promised Jemima she'd look for a way to solve the problem. After all, Jemima had trusted her with this, so it was Victoria's obligation as a friend to help her out. She only hoped something would come up; if the situation stayed like this, Jemima would certainly become even more depressed than she was now.

When Victoria went home that evening, she suddenly realized another thing; since Jemima was in love with both Quaxo and Mistoffelees, it was going to be very difficult for her to help in finding out why Misto and Bustopher ignored Quaxo most of the time. Victoria groaned, ignoring the urge to bang her head against the wall. They would probably have to keep Jemima away from all three tuxes now. Things were going to be very difficult from now on…

**Posted: November 27, 2007  
Next chapter: Bombalurina**


	9. Bombalurina

**A/N: The moment you've all been waiting for… time for Jemima to be horribly embarrassed by her aunt. Bombalurina gets a bit crazy when confronted with lovesick relatives.**

**Disclaimer: I'm a female, not a male, so how can I be either Andrew Lloyd Webber or Thomas Stearns Eliot? As for the Really Useful Group, don't even get me started on the impossibility of being multiple people in one.**

**Word count: 572 words**

'I promise I'll help you figure out something. Just don't worry too much, okay? Remember, love isn't always as easy to figure out like in fairytales. It might take a while, but I'll help you with this, okay?' 

Those were the last words Victoria had spoken to Jemima before they had left the junkyard. And although she had missed most of the actual conversation, Bombalurina had heard enough. An evil grin spread across her face as she raced to catch up with her niece…

"Sooo. I hear you're in love." Jemima stiffened. _'She found out already! But how? Oh, I hope she won't tell mom…'_ She turned around and looked at her aunt with wide eyes. "…Who told you about that, aunt Bomba?" She squeaked. Bombalurina smirked as if she'd just caught a canary. Jackpot. 'Phase 1: Get Jemima To Confirm She's In Love' was a smashing success. Now it was time to proceed with 'Phase 2: Find Out Which Tom Jemima Likes'. Bombalurina started to walk beside Jemima. "Oh, you know me. I'm your aunt; it's my job to know things like that. However, there's just one more thing I need you to tell me…" she said airily.

Jemima was inwardly panicking. Her aunt knew she was in love with two toms, and now (she was certain of it) aunt Bomba would make her tell which two… her aunt was quite good at nagging at someone for so long until they told her anything she wanted. The question was, how long would it take for her to break and tell Bombalurina everything? Jemima knew it wouldn't take long for her. She'd never been good at keeping secrets from aunt Bomba.

Bombalurina narrowed her eyes. "So, who's the lucky tom?" HA. It wouldn't be long before Jemima told her everything about her love (and she did mean everything – she'd draw every single possible detail out of her niece).

Jemima didn't expect this, though; she was stunned. Her aunt had asked about ONE tom. Just one! She didn't knew after all! _'Thank the Everlasting Cat'_ Jemima thought _'That aunt Bomba doesn't know about my dilemma!'_

Bombalurina was getting a bit impatient. She'd asked her question ten seconds ago, and Jemima still hadn't answered! "Well? Will you tell me his name already?" she asked, an impatient tone creeping into her words. Jemima jumped, having forgotten about her aunt's presence for a moment. "I… I can't tell you…" Ah. Jemima was still trying to keep it a secret, then. It seemed that more desperate measures were needed to get the information out of her. Bombalurina grinned. _'If that how you want to play it, Jemima dear, then so be it…'_

They spend five minutes walking in silence before Bombalurina spoke again. Loudly. "So, I already know you are in love; of course, there's always the question if he loves you back. So if you want, I can give you a few lessons in seduction; normally I don't give these to anyone without asking something in return, but since you're family and all…"

Jemima was furiously blushing. Every single cat in the street was looking their way; they could all hear what aunt Bomba was saying! _'I'm never going to live this down!'_ Jemima glared halfheartedly at her aunt, who proceeded to tell her when and where she would give her the promised seduction lessons.

Jemima briefly wondered if it was possible to die of embarrassment.

**Posted: December 27, 2007  
Next chapter: Bustopher Jones**


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